Going into 2019, the Kansas City Chiefs were considered by many to be the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
But here we are in Week 14, and the Chiefs have kind of been forgotten about.
Kansas City is just 8-4, and while that is a fine record, it's not what people expected from a club that won 12 games a year ago. Yes, Patrick Mahomes missed a couple of games due to a knee injury, but the Chiefs went 1-1 in those contests.
They have lost a few games even with Mahomes, most recently falling to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 35-32 in Week 11.
As a result of Kansas City's somewhat disappointing season, it had to fight off the Oakland Raiders for first place in the AFC West last week. It didn't struggle in a 40-9 win, but the fact that the Chiefs even had to come away with a victory over the Raiders in Week 13 comes as a fairly big surprise.
Still, Kansas City remains a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Here are four keys to a Chiefs Super Bowl run:
4. A healthy Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins is now in his second season in Kansas City, and while he is not the bona fide No. 1 wide receiver many anticipated when he came out of Clemson back in 2014, he is still a solid receiver and is vital to the Chiefs' aerial attack.
The problem is, Watkins has had trouble staying healthy, as he played in just 10 games last year and has already missed a couple of contests in 2019.
Tyreek Hill may be Kansas City's top wide out, but that does not mean Watkins isn't a big piece. After all, he has logged 42 catches this season, which leads all Chiefs wide receivers (thanks to Hill missing significant time with injuries).
If Watkins can stay healthy and produce at a fairly high level, it will make the Chiefs' passing game that much more dangerous.
3. A more efficient Damien Williams
It has been a nightmarish 2019 campaign for Damien Williams, who is currently dealing with a rib injury and has been limited to just nine contests this season because of injury issues.
And when he has been on the field, he hasn't been all that productive, rushing for just 309 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
The good news is that Williams has shown signs of life recently, as he rushed for 125 yards in Week 9 and 77 yards in Week 10 before sustaining the rib injury in Week 11.
LeSean McCoy is clearly the No. 1 back, but the Chiefs desperately need more from their running game, and Williams needs to be the guy to provide that extra punch once he gets healthy.
Remember: last postseason, Williams was pivotal in Kansas City's Divisional Round win, and in the Chiefs' two playoff games overall, he scored four total touchdowns.
Kansas City could really use that version of Williams from now through February.
2. Generate turnovers
Kansas City is not a good defensive ballclub. We all know this.
The Chiefs ranks 25th in the NFL in defense, and they are not going to get any better between now and the playoffs. However, there is a way for them to maximize their defensive potential, and that's by generating turnovers.
That is an area in which Kansas City has largely excelled this year, as it has posted 19 takeaways for a plus-8 turnover differential.
The issue for the Chiefs is that unlike stout defenses like that of the New England Patriots, Kansas City has to force turnovers in order to be effective.
The Chiefs' defense isn't good enough to regularly stop teams, so they need to take the ball away. If Kansas City can do that in the postseason, it will be in great shape.
1. A right Patrick Mahomes
I'm not sure what has been up with Mahomes over the last couple of games, but he hasn't been good.
Two weeks ago, he completed 19 of his 32 throws for 182 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Then, last weekend, Mahomes went just 15-for-29 with 175 yards and a touchdown in spite of the Chiefs scoring 40 points.
Is the knee still bothering him? Or did he just have a couple of bad weeks?
Whatever the case may be, Mahomes needs to get right between now and the playoffs for Kansas City to have any chance of making a deep run.
Let's face it: the Chiefs are good because of their offense, which is led by a monster in Mahomes. If he can't get things straight, Kansas City isn't going anywhere.
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